Thousands of kids in Massachusetts need foster care. So why is the state turning away Christian families?

Most states wouldn’t drive away devoted foster parents like Heath and Lydia Marvin, a couple in Woburn who have been fostering kids for the Department of Children and Families since 2021 — including complex cases like a baby born deaf, testing positive for various substances, and diagnosed with a genetic disorder.

A social worker for the agency gave them glowing reviews in a May hearing, according to a transcript I obtained from the couple’s lawyer. The social worker said she wished the department “had more similar foster parents, but we don’t, so it makes them really unique.” Not only did the Marvins stay by the baby’s side during months of hospital visits, they also helped the department achieve its ultimate goal: reuniting the baby with his birth mother...